A cardinal rule in showbiz is to never follow a child or an animal act.
Good thing there wasn’t any big-name entertainment at the 2007 Youthof the Year Dinner because members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver stole the show — as did the purebred Labrador puppy that was on the auction block.
Dozens of young members performed dance routines for the 750-plus guests who’d gathered at the Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom on a recent Saturday night. And when the out-loud auction began, Labrador pup was in much demand, eventually selling for $4,000.
The auction, which also featured private-jet trips to Washington, D.C., to dine with Colorado legislators, contributed $175,000 to the evening’s $600,000 profit.David and Bonnie Mandarich chaired the dinner event with John and Katy Shaw. VIP guests included U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter; U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar and his wife, Hope Hernandez Salazar; and Steve McConahey, founder and chief executive of SGM Capital and chairman of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver board.
In addition, Realtor Hanne Lichtenfels to help present a scholarship named for her husband, the late attorney and club supporter Reid Lichtenfels.
Youth of the Year honors went to 17-year-old Alexandria Batiste, who wowed the crowd as she saluted both her mother and grandmother and gladly accepted a challenge to mentor other young people. She spoke with poise and grace, then joined dozens of other club members to perform an interpretive dance that was part of the evening’s entertainment.
The Champion of Youth award was given to Patrick Hamill, the founder, president and CEO of Oakwood Homes and a long-time supporter of the clubs. He is a past chair and current member of the Metro Denver board and has helped raise millions of dollars for the organization that serves 8,000 kids from low-income families.
Hamill was praised for his good corporate citizenship by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter and McConahey.
“The continued growth of this event, both in attendance and the money we raise, is reflective of the growing realization by the good folks of this community of the huge need served by Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver,” observed president and CEO Tim Sheahan.
Staples was the event’s Presenting Sponsor. Oakwood Homes was the Platinum Sponsor; Berenbaum, Weinshienk & Eason was the Diamond Sponsor; and CW2 was the Media Sponsor.
Gold Sponsors were the Alpert Corporation, Anschutz Foundation, Denver Broncos Football Club, First Western Trust Bank, FSN Rocky Mountain, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, Howell Construction, M.D.C. Holdings, Inc./Richmond American Homes, Steve & Kathy McConahey, and Wells Fargo Bank.

Photographs taken at the Youth of the Year Dinner can be viewed at denverpost.com/SeenGallery.

Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com.

Study after study has shown that when it comes to charitable fundraisers, Denver has more per capita than any comparably sized city in the nation. Joanne Davidson has been covering them for The Denver Post since 1985, coming here from her native California where she'd spent the previous seven years as San Francisco bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report magazine.